


Keep Her Safe

by warriorprincessclarke



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/M, royal au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 05:22:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5079463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warriorprincessclarke/pseuds/warriorprincessclarke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Former criminal John Murphy now works for Ark's royal family as their head assassin. The king is the only person in the whole castle who trusts him, all other guards tell stories of Murphy's gruesome past, of which no one has told the king. One day it is discovered that there is a target on Clarke's back but no one knows who will shoot the arrow. Murphy is tasked with keeping the princess safe and taking out the man who wants to kill her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep Her Safe

 Former criminal turned head assassin for the palace, John Murphy, stood with his back up against the cold stone wall, sharpening his knife. The corridor was nearly abandoned, with only him and a single wary guard eyeing Murphy from the end of the hall. Murphy kept his eyes on his knife, attempting to look disinterested in what the guard thought of him. By now he was used to the dirty looks he recieved every time he entered a room, but that didn't mean they didn't get on every nerve in his body.

   He lifted his eyes only slightly when he heard the slow creak of the giant oak doors that lead to the throne room. The judgemental guard had been hidden behind the left door and was replaced by two different guards who pushed the doors completely ajar. A figure walked directly through the center of the two doors along the gold and red carpet that stretched the length of the corridor. The figure stopped in line with the doors to thank the guards. Murphy heard the unmistakeable voice of Ark's very own crown princess, Clarke. Princess Clarke continued on her path down the corridor with one arm holding her dress ever so slightly above the ground and the other filled with a stack of scrolls.  _Should a princess really be carrying her own scrolls around the palace?_  Murphy thought. He quickly shrugged away the thought. What did he care? He was just the underpaid yet incredibly skilled hit man for the king. 

   He started to go back to sharpening his knife but something caught his eye before he could lower them. A small scroll from the top of Princess Clarke's stack floated to the ground like a leaf. Although she was too busy readjusting her grip on her skirt to notice the scroll slip over her shoulder. Murphy eyed the guards to see if they were going to come to the princess's rescue. The guards were too occupied by heaving the floor to ceiling walls back into their original position to help. Murphy weighed whether or not he should help her. On one hand she surely did not have a good impression of him, despite never having had a conversation with him. But on the other hand, maybe it would change her mind, or at least an onlooker's mind, about him. 

   He took three large strides towards the fallen piece of parchment. He picked it up delicately between both hands and called after her. "Excuse me, your majesty, you dropped this." Princess Clarke turned around to find Ark's head assassin on one knee offering her a scroll. Murphy immediately felt self conscious. This was not his usual position, helping the damsel in distress. Albeit this was not really a damsel in distress moment, it was more of a "damsel in slight inconvenience." He watched the princess's eyes dart past him to the guards who were not paying attention to the pair the in middle of the hallway.  _I knew this was a bad idea_. Princess Clarke tentatively reached her long fingers out to grab the scroll. Murphy stood up as she took the scroll from his hand, which made her flinch away.

   As if realizing she had not said anything yet, words tumbled out of her mouth. "Oh- um- why- uh thank you for telling me." To make things easier for both of them he took a step back so there was more distance between them. He hoped that would make her feel more comfortable.

   "No problem at all, your majesty." Murphy gave her a small smile. She, almost imperceptibly, returned it but they were quickly interrupted by the guard who had been eyeing Murphy.

   The guard swooped in and laid a gentle hand across Princess Clarke's shoulders and guided her in the direction of the exit. "Princess Clarke, let me escort you out. I just to make sure you get to your chambers safely." Both of them cast a swift glance at Murphy, but they could not have been more different. The guard's eyes were scathing and protective, not wanting Murphy anywhere near the princess. Princess Clarke's were soft and curious, the guard's blatant disregard for Murphy seemed to have triggered something in her. Something that was no longer wary or scared. Her glance lasted longer than the guard's. It extended seconds after the guard hustled her down the hall.  _That could have gone worse,_  Murphy thought,  _at least he didn't scewer me with his sword._

* * *

 

   It had been a week since Murphy's run in with the princess and he had all but forgotten about it. It was one of the only non-hostile interactions he had had in the palace since he had been there. The king's men had captured him after he had artfully taken out a group of criminals that had been terrorizing the village. It was pure coincidence that the time he was caught he was on the same side as the royal family. They took him back to the castle and for his "honorable work" he was given the position of head assassin. Everyone knew that he was behind more than just taking out criminals, he had taken out a few palace guards in his time, but the king did not know that and no one was going to tell the king that he was wrong. So Murphy was stuck doing work for the good of the kingdom.

   Murphy was summoned into a meeting with the king that afternoon. It was probably a normal "kill this criminal so he stops annoying us" kind of deal. Often times Murphy's missions weren't of the utmost importance. None too threatening to the royal family. It was usually no more than someone robbing households and maybe killing a particularly stubborn victim.

   He made his grand entrance to the king's planning room. He didn't bother bowing to the king, he never had and there was no point in starting now. He made his way to his normal seat directly to the right of the king. He got halfway there before he realized someone was sitting in his spot. It was a girl with long golden hair. It was the princess again. 

   "Ahh John." The king stood up and gestured to the seat to his left. "You'll have to excuse me, my daughter must be present for this meeting so you will sit in this seat." Murphy complied with no complaints. The king seemed to trust him whole heartedly and, of all people, he especially wanted to stay on his good side. 

   "Your majesty," he quickly corrected himself, "I mean majesties." He gave a subtle nod and smile at Princess Clarke. She quickly broke eye contact and stared at her lap tensely. 

   The king clapped his hands together thunderously. "Well let's get right to the point, my boy. I have already informed Clarke of this matter, seeing as it revolves around her-"

   "Are you asking me to take out your daughter, your highness?" Murphy immediately regretted his attempt at a joke.  _That is not what you say about a princess to the king's face._  The king shot Murphy a stern look and the guards quietly gripped their swords, ready to pull them out at any moment. He thought he saw Princess Clarke crack a smile but that could also have been him grasping at any possibility of validation for his distasteful joke.

   "As I was saying, this mission revolves around Clarke. I have gotten wind that someone is going to make an attempt on her life. Long story short, I require someone to stop the hit before it happens, and you are the best man for the job."

   "What do you need me to do exactly? Go out and find the guy before he can get to the castle or be her around the clock guard? There are many options here, your majesty." The words "your majesty" came off more condescending than Murphy intended. He was not quite fluent in the language of kindness.

   "Father, that may not be a terrible idea, having a guard on me at all times." Princess Clarke interjected. Her voice was stronger than it had been the last time Murphy had talked to her. This time she was in control of the situation. He liked this Clarke better.

   "Sweetheart, we have guards all around the palace, I'm sure you will be fine." The king clucked at his daughter. 

   "As much as I believe that, if something were to happen, none of the guards have the same skill and insight into the mind of an assassin that John does." Princess Clarke calmly stated. "And for all we know, the assassin could be inside the palace we don't even know it." Murphy could not figure out why the princess was vouching for him so persistently.

   "Are you sure you want someone following you around all day, Clarke?" The king asked cautiously. Murphy wasn't even sure he wanted to follow around a princess all day everyday, especially if it meant guards would be hyper aware of him even more than usual.

   "Yes father, this is my life on the line, I deserve to make the decisions." Clarke declared. This confident, powerful Clarke intimidated Murphy. His original perceptions of her had gone completely out the window.

   "I will do my best to make sure no harm comes to your daughter." His words were directed at the king but his eyes never left Clarke's. She gave him a simultaneously appreciative and validating nod. It seemed that her first perceptions of Murphy were being changed right before his eyes.

   "Well then it is agreed. John your living quarters will be relocated near Clarke's and after that I will let Clarke take the reigns and you both can agree upon the details." The king gestured towards his daughter. "I will let you two get better aquainted." The king exited the room, leaving Murphy and Clarke alone, along with 4 guards at every corner of the room.

   "So your majesty, what was with that? I thought you were afraid of me." Murphy referred to the first time they met. "You seemed pretty uneasy earlier this week."

   Clarke avoided eye contact with him again. "That was when all I knew of you was the stories I heard from the guards. Later experience taught me that you may not be so terrible after all. Mind you, I am still wary of your presence, so if you lay a harmful finger on me I will tell the king everything." She held Murphy's gaze and wouldn't let it go.

   "Don't worry, princess, I'm only as bad as the stories suggest when someone deserves it. So don't do anything to deserve it and we should get along famously." He knew this was another distasteful joke but he hoped he wasn't mistaken in seeing amusement on Clarke's face last time. He heard the guards shift their swords again and he tensed up.

   "John Murphy, that is the second time you have threatened me today, you had better not make this a trend." Murphy couldn't tell if the princess was joking. He decided it best to assume she wasn't.

   "My only job in the foreseeable future is protecting you, princess." 

   "You don't have to call me "princess" or "your majesty" can just call me Clarke, if you want." Her tone changed from commanding to quiet. The offer warmed Murphy's insides. He felt like they had a small connection now. He felt trusted.

   "Thanks," he mumbled, "and since we will be getting to know each other rather closely you can call me Murphy. All my friends do."

   "I mean no offense, but what friends? I always see you alone." This jabbed him in the heart. All of his village friends when he was a boy called him Murphy, so he has always used his surname when referring to himself. 

   He used a humor to cover up how much her comment had affected him, "I guess that means you'll be my first friend in the palace."

   Clarke smiled. Not a guarded, imperceptible smile, a real, toothy smile. "Well  _Murphy_ I'm glad I could be your first."


End file.
